Vaginal wall sling: four years later

Since December 1985, we have treated 65 patients with urinary stress incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter dysfunction with the vaginal wall sling procedure. Of the 54 patients who were available for follow-up, intrinsic sphincter dysfunction was related to multiple prior bladder neck suspension procedures in 48 patients. In the remaining 6 patients, 2 had pelvic trauma, 2 had neurogenic urethral dysfunction, 1 had urethral diverticulectomy, and 1 had pelvic radiation. The success rate of the vaginal wall sling procedure for correcting stress incontinence was 94.4 percent at a mean follow-up of 23.9 months. Postoperative complications were minimal. Although 83 percent were temporarily in urinary retention, in the absence of neurogenic bladder and augmentation cystoplasty, only 5.5 percent needed intermittent self-catheterization on a long-term basis. De novo detrusor instability developed postoperatively in 14.8 percent of the cases. In no patient did a vaginal inclusion cyst develop. The vaginal wall sling is a simple procedure with excellent success rate and minimal morbidity. We recommend it for patients with stress urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter dysfunction.